Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office accuses Russian 76th Guards Air Assault Division servicemen of three Ukrainian POWs' execution

Investigators suspect Russian soldiers from the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of the Russian Federation of involvement in the execution of three Ukrainian prisoners of war in Zaporizhzhia.

Yurii Bielousov, Head of the Prosecutor General’s Office Department for Combating Crimes Committed during Armed Conflicts, said this on Radio Liberty.

Investigators confirm the authenticity of the video of the shooting, which was shared on social media on December 27. The video showed Russian soldiers forcing three Ukrainian prisoners to their knees and shooting them with machine guns. The prisoners did not resist.

"We are now identifying those involved in this crime. We have assumptions that the 76th Airborne Division of the Russian Federation [Army] was involved in the crime. But we are currently checking this information. This division is already known for war crimes committed in Ukraine, particularly in the Kyiv region," Bielousov said.

The prosecutor's office has already identified the names of the deceased Ukrainian servicemen.  This information is currently being verified and will be made public later. However, prosecutors are not yet ready to comment on the whereabouts of the bodies of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukrainian law enforcement received information about the shooting on December 16. It was then that the Russian military allegedly executed the Ukrainian prisoners.

According to Bielousov, the same month, the Russian army was found to be using Ukrainian soldiers as human shields. He suggests that Russian commanders can instruct their subordinates because they know exactly what they are doing.